Deck:Quintessential Graveyard Control
Strategy This deck is a good beginner's weapon for those who have just newly acquired the Graveyard, given its decklist. In using this, one aims to decimate towers using the Graveyard supported by either or both of the two mini tanks mentioned above. Take note that releasing a lone Graveyard would hardly benefit one anything, so supporting the legendary spell is a must-do in order to bring out the potential of the card. During the early phase of the game (3:00 - 2:00), one may start out with any card except for the Graveyard and Zap. Battle Ram and Furnace are the best starting cards to begin with; Battle Ram immediately allows one's opponent to respond reactively, while the Furnace allows direct damage and safety against most direct tower attackers. Skeletons and Minions allow one to shuffle between cards immediately, and is beneficial in bringing out either the Ram or the Furnace. Though it is not recommended to open up with the Knight or the Musketeer, they make good opening cards in case one will have an opening hand with Zap/Musketeer/Graveyard/Knight. Make the most out of the Battle Ram early in the game. One may choose to either go for lone Battle Ram plays or to go for supported Battle Rams, but be careful not to overcommit on offense as the opponent may exploit this 'blunder' created by the player. In mid-game (2:00 - 1:00), one must already have an idea as to what deck their opponent is using. Continue on making Battle Ram pushes as much as possible; aim for securing tactical advantages so that crushing down the opponent's towers will be easier during the last minute until overtime. From here, one may do a single Graveyard push, preferably during the 1:15 to 1:10 mark, as a way to open up the tides for late game. Notes on defending versus deck archetypes are listed down below. At the late game phase (1:00 - Overtime), here's where most of the Graveyard action happens. Although the 2x elixir mode allows for more frequent Graveyard pushes, do not be too impatient in creating Graveyard pushes since elixir production is not as hasty as it is with Elixir Collectors on the field despite the doubled elixir production. During this time it's important to keep at least 1 Furnace on the map since it'll help a huge bunch in supporting most Graveyard pushes. If it's necessary to do double lane pushing, then one may do so for as long as it wouldn't cause a blunder on the player's part. Combos Battle Ram + Fire Spirits Furnace = One of the good pushes I'd recommend to open up with; it forces out opponents to respond immediately, thus allowing the player to begin formulating their long-term strategy. Battle Ram + Minions = The Minions allow the Battle Ram to be a bit more secured against the Inferno Tower; it can't be guaranteed that this push could make contact with the tower if ever such thing happens. Battle Ram / Knight + Graveyard = Killer pushes begin here. Keep these pushes supported by all other cards to make the most out of these. Battle Ram + Skeletons = Cheapest push one can make ;) Battle Ram + Musketeer = Though it's not always recommended to frequently do this for means of getting advantages, it allows the opponent to force out stronger cards as a response against this push, allowing for more intel on the opponent's deck. Deck Match-ups Lava Hound - This archetype, particularly the LavaLoon Freeze combo, has gotten popular in usage recently and has allowed many to raise their eyebrows on the Lava Hound. When playing against the mentioned combo, play the Furnace on a 4-2 plant rather than a 5-2 plant so as to avoid the Freeze making contact with both the arena tower and the Furnace. Position your air defense units properly when defending against pushes like this. the player's the ballsy type like I am, rush for the other tower Log Bait - Since Log bait decks do not use any major direct tower attackers, it's okay to place the Furnace at the back, particularly touching the left or right of the King Tower, or before the King Tower itself. In this match-up, however, one may choose to have at lest 2 Furnaces so as to smack most of these frail troops more easily. Having The Log over Zap slightly alleviates one's match-up advantage. Hog Cycle - As long as one could keep their Furnace up on the 5-3 plant, the Hog doesn't pose much of a threat. It can be practically dealt with as well by the rest of the troops. Mind their support cards. Royal Giant - Given the 2 second spawn delay that'll be implemented during the latest update, which in my case has already been, it's slightly easier to deal with RG now that everybody gets the chance to deal with it more quickly. Always make sure to keep your Furnace up as well to deal with most of its support troops and the RG itself. Giant Beatdown - It depends on the combo that the opponent uses. If it's Giant + E-Wiz, it's not going to be much of a hassle. However, get ready to defend against Giant + Balloon and the slightly more threatening but more uncommon Giant + Hog Rider. Either way, it's still a good resort to push the other lane especially once the Giant's been summoned from behind. Just don't think about going Ram + Graveyard early game. 3 Musketeers - In general this is a more difficult match-up, and even more so if the opponent carries Lightning. Always get your Battle Ram ready to soak up damage from the Muskies and pair it up with the Knight and Skeletons to exterminate them. Final Notes Overall, this deck is a good starting point especially for those who're just beginning to use the Graveyard. As a starter, do not be overwhelmed too much by the Graveyard's natural prowess so as to avoid losing. Most of all, enjoy what you're doing. Once you get a grasp of most of the basics of playing Graveyard you may choose to experiment with your own Graveyard deck. That is all and have a good day to you.